CSX Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has named Steve Angel as President and a member of the Board, effective September 28. He succeeds Joe Hinrichs, who has departed from the company as President and Board member. Angel will work closely with the Board and management team to ensure a seamless transition.
CSX?s operating performance remains strong, and the company still expects to deliver full-year volume growth. Angel is an accomplished executive with over 45 years of experience leading large, public companies and generating strong shareholder returns. He has a long and proven track record of leading high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative culture, and driving operational excellence and growth, while maintaining disciplined capital allocation and attractive returns on capital.
Over Angel?s long career as CEO of Linde plc, and its predecessor Praxair Inc., companies under his leadership have created significant and sustained shareholder value. During Angel?s tenures, Linde and Praxair generated total shareholder returns of 219% and 257%, respectively. Since the combination of Linde AG and Praxair, the company?s market capitalization has grown by 141%, a $131 billion increase in value, outperforming the S5MATR Index and creating the world?s largest industrial gases and engineering company.
Angel was CEO of Praxair from 2007-2018. After its merger with Linde in 2018, he became CEO of the combined company until 2022, when he was named Chair. He plans to retire from Linde?s Board in January 2026.
He began his career at General Electric where he held a variety of management positions for over 22 years and worked directly with locomotive and rail operations. Steve Angel served as Linde Chief Executive Officer from 2018 to 2022, and Chairman since 2022. He plans to retire from Linde?s Board effective January 31, 2026.During his tenure, he oversaw the successful integration of Linde AG and Praxair Inc., which created the world?s largest industrial gases and engineering company.
Prior to Praxair?s merger with Linde, Angel served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer from 2007 to 2018, helping guide Praxair through significant transformation while identifying and pursuing strategic growth initiatives. He first joined Praxair in 2001 as Executive Vice President, responsible for Praxair's businesses in North America, Europe, and Asia. He was later named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2006.
Angel began his career at General Electric, where he spent 22 years in a variety of management positions, working directly with locomotive and rail operations. This early operational grounding shaped his leadership approach, combining deep industry knowledge with a focus on performance, safety, and people. He serves as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of GE Vernova, where he is a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee, and on the Board of Directors at GE Aerospace, where he chairs the Management Development and Compensation Committee.
In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Stoke Space Technologies, and has previously served as director of PPG Industries, the Hydrogen Council, and the US-China Business Council, and as co-chair of the US-Brazil CEO Forum. He is also a graduate member of The Business Council, where he served on the executive committee. Angel has received numerous awards and recognition throughout his career.
In 2020, he was awarded North Carolina State University?s Watauga Medal, the university?s highest non-academic honor, for his decades of service to the university. In 2019, he was given The American-German Institute?s Leadership Award, which recognized Linde?s commitment to making the world more productive and its contribution to the German-American partnership. A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Angel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Loyola College in Baltimore.
